The benevolent banner., 1887-09-10
THE AFRO-AMERICAN LEAGUE.
Mr.. Fortune Defines the Necessity
and Nature Of Such a National
Organization.

Organization.
To the Colored People Of the United States:
There come periods il the history
Of every people when the necessity
Of their affairs make It imperative
that they take such steps as shall
show 70 the world that they are
worthy 70 be free, and therefore en-
titled to the sympathy Of ali man
kind and to the cooperation Of all
lovers Of justice and fair play. TO
do this they mast unequivocably
show that while they may solicit the
sympathy and cooperation Of man
kind, they have the intelligence and
the courage to know what are their
rights and to manfully contend for
them. In the last issue Of The
Freeman | took occasion to propose
vast organization Of the colored
people Of the United States for the
purpose Of creating just public
opinion in the special matter Of lynch
and mob law. | now feel that the
reasons then given for 50 vast an
organization, while in every respect
ample, might seem to some insuffici-
ent; therefore ] have proposed to
myself the task Of stating more in
detail the reasons, as | understand
them, why we should take this i'm
portant step.
| am in no sense unmindful of the
vastness Of the undertaking, but this
instead Of being a drawback is rath-
er an incentive to prosecute the mat
ter with more earnestness and per-
sistence. There are thousands Of
what are termed "societies" among
us,whose Oh ject in the main is bene'
ficiarv, Whether any considerable
number Of these can be used direct
ly for the purpose Of the League Of
not, they certainly have served as {
preparatory school for central Ma
tional organization such as | have
suggested, and such as we need
Therefore, if it shall be found i'm
possible to divert these organization
from their present local nature an(
circumscribed purposes, they vii
still serve as feeders for the Nation
al League, as they have already
served, in ignorance Of such a Pur
pose, as educators for it. The WOrl
Of preparation which they have ac
compIished seems almost as specia
providence, and if the great centra
organizations shall ever become
fact, it will certainly appear TO have
been such.
REASONS WHY THERE SHOULD 81
SUCH A LEAGUE.
shall here state the reasons VIII,
! think such a League shoult b.
formed. O The almost universe
suppression Of our ballot in the SoutI
and consequent "taxation withou
t representation" since in cities
t counties and States where we hav,
undisputed preponderating major
ties Of the voting population W
have in the main no representation
and therefore no voice in the maxim.
and constituting the laws under VIII q
We live. % The universal an,
lamentable reign Of lynch anl mo-
law, Of which we are made the VIC
tins ii the South, all the more az
! gravating because all the machiner,
Of the law making and enforcing an
yhority i in the hasds Of those VIII
resort to such outrageous, heinou
and murderous violations Of the law
: (3) The unequal distribution 0
school funds collected from all tax
payers, and to the equal and un
divided benefits of which all are ahk
entitled. (D The oiious and De
moralizing penitenltary system 0
the South, with its chain-gangs, con
vict leases, and indiscrininate mixin,